What are the proofs of those who say that the thigh is not ʿawrah, and how did the scholars who maintain the obligation of covering it respond to them?

Among the proofs cited by those who say that the thigh is not awrah (private parts that must be covered) are the hadith of Anas and A'isha. They are refuted with explicit evidence indicating that the thigh is awrah, such as the hadith: "What is between the navel and the knee is awrah," and the hadith: "Cover your thigh, for the thigh is awrah," and the hadith: "Do not expose your thigh, and do not look at the thigh of a living person or a dead one." They interpreted A'isha's hadith as a doubt concerning what was exposed, and Anas's hadith as the izar (loincloth) having become uncovered on its own, not intentionally.